1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to automatic watering devices, and more particularly to an automatic watering apparatus for poultry and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic watering devices, for poultry and the like, are generally known in the art. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,746, issued Nov. 8, 1966 to H. Ruter, there is disclosed an automatic poultry watering device including a freely suspended bell-shaped drinking vessel having an annular channel at its lower end for the collection of drinking water. The bell is free to move reciprocally, responsive to a spring bias and the weight of the water contained in the channel. Such movement of the drinking vessel operates a valve assembly to automatically start and stop flow of drinking water to the drinking channel.
In like manner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,782, issued July 6, 1971 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,494, issued Aug. 22, 1972, both to I. Kantor, show a suspension-type poultry drinking fountain including a bell-shaped member having a water channel, or trough, a valve, a hanger supporting the bell member in freely swinging suspension, and a resilient mounting suspending the trough from the hanger, such that when water in the trough drops to a predetermined quantity the trough rises and opens the valve to permit more water to flow to the trough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,201, issued Aug. 14, 1979 to R. A. Vanderhye shows a similar device, but having a ground support facility rather than a suspension-type mounting.
In the aforementioned prior art devices, the bell-shaped drinking vessels, though movable reciprocally, are not adapted to turn on their mountings. In the suspension-type device, the shoving and pushing of poultry causes the entire apparatus to turn on its axis. Inasmuch as the valve assembly of the suspension-type device is connected to a reservoir of drinking water by flexible supply tubing, turning of the entire apparatus causes twisting of the hangers and the supply tubing with consequent interruption of flow of drinking water.
In both the ground support and suspension-type of prior art device, the flow from the valve assembly to the drinking vessel channel is directed along a particular path on the surface of the bell-shaped vessel, with consequent erosive effects along that particular path and build-up of dust and possible contamination on the vessel surface elsewhere.
Another shortcoming of devices of the prior art lies in the fact that drinking channels, or troughs, suitable for grown poultry are dangerous for baby chicks which push and shove each other to an extent causing some of the chicks to fall into the trough and drown.